4. Rudy Gobert, Utah Jazz
The 7-foot-1, 245-pounder is a shot-blocking machine. Last season, Gobert swatted 189 shots, which ranked second behind only New Orleans Pelicans superstar Anthony Davis. Gobert entered the Utah Jazz starting lineup on Feb. 20, and his 74 post-All-Star break blocks tied Davis for the most.
But while Gobert is known for his defensive exploits, he’s far from a one-dimensional player. On the contrary, “The Stifle Tower” tallied 11.1 points on 57.6 percent shooting and 13.4 rebounds during the 29-game stretch as a starter to close the year. Gobert finished with the NBA’s fifth-best defensive rating (98.0) and the No. 8 offensive rating (122.1). Don’t be surprised when those numbers improve in 2015-16.